More "Travel to/in China - Frequently Asked Questions" ...

How to contact my family when I travel in China?

You can always use the hotel telephone. But be aware that it could be as expensive as US$3 per minute. On the Yangtze cruise ships, it could be $20 per minute as they are using satellite telephone.

Suggestions:

#1: leave the phone numbers at home and ask them to call you;

#2: send faxes from the business centers at the hotels and ships;

#3: send emails from those business centers at the hotels and ships